בס''ד
Once again, Israelis living around the Gaza Fence, spent hours in their bomb shelters Monday evening and Tuesday during the day, as Hamas, the terrorists organization, unleashed a flurry of rockets at residents of the South.
This time, Hamas outdid themselves firing 466 rockets. There were many injuries, a lot of damage, direct hits on private homes and an apartment building. Schools and some businesses closed. The train was cancelled and highways and roads were closed to non residents.
Our Yishuv is 9 km from Gaza [about 5 1/2 miles]. We received 9 rockets sirens with 7 coming every few minutes. The booming was ear piercing. Our house vibrated and the windows rattled.
Israel Home Front ordered all residents to stay in or near our bomb shelter.
We have only 15 seconds to seek safety. Yes! Only 15 seconds.
What do families with young children do?
My daughter Devorah, as a mother of 7 children, living in the Gaza Envelope, was asked to make an English video called ‘Life Under Fire’ - What can you do in 15 seconds?
Have a look. Devorah will leave you with chills. Life Under Fire
I challenge you to take the 15 second test. See if you can get your family and pets to safety in 15 seconds.
1. choose a room in your house to be your safe room
2. set anytime on an alarm clock
3. set a second alarm clock for 15 seconds later.
4. when the alarm rings, gather your kids and pets and get to your safe room before the second alarm goes off.
Did you make it?
The Gaza Belt has many senior residents made up of families who made aliyah from Europe and Arab countries to escape discrimination. They came from Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Yemen, and so forth, before 1948 and after. The Jewish Agency settled them in the South on a barren piece of land.
With very little food or money, these ‘settlers’ started moshavim, kibbutzim, and businesses. They worked tirelessly to settle the land and make the Negev the beautiful area it is.
They turned a desert into rich land that grows vegetables, fruit, wheat, & flowers. As young men and women, they served in the IDF.
Today, they are seniors in their 80’s, 90’s and I’m sure some are 100 years old.
When the siren rings, their lives are literally in danger. Many do not have bomb shelters in their homes and can’t get to a public shelter. There are seniors in wheelchairs, some have serious illnesses and are bed ridden, others suffer from dementia and alzheimers. They just can’t get to safety in 15 seconds. They can’t get to safety in any amount of time.
Last week, I visited a neighbour who is confined to a wheelchair. She does not have a bomb shelter in her house. I asked her what does she do when the siren rings. She told me, “I just sit here. I can’t go anywhere”. I told her to make sure she is not near any windows. The glass can shatter and fly.
This is not a way to live. We constantly wait for the next barrage of rockets. Hamas are a bunch of thugs, fickle ones at that. They don’t need a reason to fire rockets.
I would like my government to explain why they allow a bunch of terrorist thugs to call the shots... And I don’t want them to say there is a bigger picture. Residents of the south deserve to be protected by their government.
Miriam
